Tuesday, January 27th.

Class is finally over. That wretched teacher is getting on my nerves. I can't wait for this year to be over with, god.

Sigh. I don't have time for this, I need to find someone that will sell my crystals, I made a whole bunch to give to possible merchants but they won't even try out my products! How am I supposed to, ugh, god damn it!

``Hey, you, first year!'' [???]

Someone yells behind me.

I keep walking.

``Hey, I'm talking to you!'' [???]

Keep walking. I don't care what they want, ju-

Someone grabs my arm and twist me around.

``Hey! I'm talking to you!'' [???]

Standing in front of me is a kid who I assume is a year older than me. He's surrounded by four other kids, each looking skimpy and pathetic.

``Sigh.. What?'' [Nathan]

``Is it true that your hair is black because you can't do magic?'' [???]

He asks with a stupid, mocking frown and an annoying twisted smile.

``Mike I told you, it's black because he's half beastman, my dad says he saw beastmen with black hair!'' [???]

Another laughs from behind him.

``No, my dad said that it's because the spirits hate him, so they won't protect him with magic!'' [Mike]

``.. If you have nothing to say to me, let me go.'' [Nathan]

I say as I slap away his hand from my shoulder.

``Hey! We're not finished! Tell us why your hair is black!'' [Mike]

He yells as he grabs my hair.

This fucking brat.

``I don't know why it's black, let go of me.'' [Nathan]

``Liar, I bet it's because your dad is a beastman, just like my dad said!'' [???]

The other kid shouts at me with a mocking laugh.

``No, he wasn't.'' [Nathan]

``Liar! I bet he was! I bet my dad killed him because he's a monster!'' [???]

``Shut your FUCKING MOUTH!'' [Nathan]

I yell as I pull myself out of the grasp of the first bully and hit the other one squarely in the face, knocking him over.

For a second we all just stand there, looking at him on the ground before blood starts running out of his nose. He begins to tear up-

Oh shit.

Shit shit shit shit.

-And starts wailing while holding his nose.

``Hey! You hit Tommy!'' [Mike]

``Yeah! You stupid kid! [???]

``We were just having fun, what did we ever do to you?!'' [???]

They start pushing and shoving me back and forth between them.

Fuck.

This is bad.

``You stupid, stupid!!'' [Mike]

He says as he punches me in the chest.

His punch is weak, no force behind it. He just swung his fist and hit me with it.

I shouldn't fight back. They'll stop soon enough.

I don't want rumors going around that I like getting into fights.

``Get him!'' [???]

They start hitting and kicking me from every side. I hold up my hands to defend my face, as they continue to bear down on me. Luckily they're weak and inexperienced, so it doesn't really hurt.

Until the one I floored hits me in the back of the head with a stick.

I stagger forwards, dizzy from the impact.

He hits me again, this time in the side.

I crumble forwards, holding my head with my arms.

``I got him, I got him!'' [Tommy]

I feel the impacts as they kick me from all sides.

Protecting my head with my arms, I curl together on the ground.

Then they stop.

I peak out from between my arms.

Someone tackled the one I hit before, and is pinning him to the ground. He's hitting him over and over again, blood running down his face.

The rest of them stare at him in confusion before helping him, attacking the new arrival instead of me.

He puts up a fight, but he can't win one against five.

I push myself to my knees. My head is spinning.

I take a moment to get focused, and force myself to my feet.

He's taking a pounding, like I was, but he's pushing back at them.

Running to gather some momentum, I dropkick the largest of them, knocking him off his feet.

Landing on my back, I quickly push myself back up.

Another bully staggers back, his hands on his face.

With only two kids around him, the new guy gets to his feet and starts fighting one of the remaining bullies on equal terms.

The other turns to me, visibly insecure about his situation. He takes a wild swing at me, which I easily sidestep to hit him solidly in the side.

He tumbles over, and I turn to see that the last bully has bitten the dust as well.

They quickly gather up their friend, with what I assume is a broken nose, and scamper off, crying and whining as they do.

``You're welcome.'' [???]

The new arrival says as he turns to me, a huge proud grin on his face.

``Welcome? Now I have to deal with these annoying brats again next time!'' [Nathan]

``Wha, I just saved you!'' [???]

He retorts back, confused.

``I didn't need your saving! I was taking care of it!'' [Nathan]

``You were getting beaten, that's what you were doing!'' [???]

``I was letting them beat me so they'd leave me alone!'' [Nathan]

I shout back at him.

``No you weren't, they had you on the ground. Just be thankful that I saved you, stupidhead!'' [???]

``Just leave me alone next time! I don't need your help!'' [Nathan]

I yell back at him as I walk away.

I don't have time for this!

Damn brats!

I have to shop and prepare for dinner, It's not like I can just buy a finished meal or a package of chicken breasts.

It needs to be feathered, gutted and cooked, which all takes more time than I have. I also have to clean the dishes, do the laundry, sweep and dust off around the house and keep the heating crystals running, so there goes half my evening. The rest I use making crystals.

I reach the house. I quickly grab the bag of crystals I spend yesterday evening making. If I give these away to the merchants to sell in their shops, one of them might buy some from me.

I can shop for dinner on the way home.

As I turn to walk out the door I glance at myself in the mirror.

There's blood on my forehead. My clothes are covered in dirt.

I have a swollen lip, and my hair is a filthy mess.

Great, I can't try to sell my crystals like this, I look like a bloody street urchin. Just what I needed, god!

I shout as I throw the bag on the couch and go to the bathroom to wash up, cursing that I have to put off trying to find a buyer yet another day.